SOUTHEAST REGION Riverboat Days & Summer Arts Festival -Yankton Corn Palace -Mitchell Great American West Continued from page 223 » ATTRACTIONS, FESTIVALS AND EVENTS Nearly every town in Southeast South Dakota offers a museum or collection of interest. Recent renovations at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls feature a “Fortress of the Bears” exhibit. Heartland Country Corn Maze in Harrisburg promises fun for all ages. Kids can make music, build, climb, dance and discover their inner artist at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota in Brookings. Explore 40 antique-filled buildings and relive the days of an active turn of the century main street at Prairie Village in Madison. Visit DeSmet and tour two original homes and the homestead that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her book The Long Winter. The Dakota Territorial Museum and Cramer-Kenyon Heritage Home both offer a glimpse into the his-toric past of Yankton. See endangered fish species being hatched and raised at Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery & Aquarium, also in Yankton. Observe a live archeological dig in progress at Mitchell's Prehistoric Indian Village. Find butterflies flying freely year round at the Sioux Falls Butterfly House & Aquarium. Then go next door to The Outdoor Campus for free outdoor adventure. Thunder Road Family Fun Park in Sioux Falls has a new year-round facility with bowling, indoor laser tag and more. Get a thrill at Wild Water West’s newest waterslide, Tornado Alley, a 55-foot tube with a funnel in the middle, or catch one of the weekly performances of the Greatest Show on H20 featuring amazing water stunts, both in Sioux Falls. 224 // #SESouthDakota Don’t miss the world’s only Corn Palace in Mitchell, decorated annually with new murals made from thousands of bushels of corn, grains and native grasses. It has been newly renovated with color changing light-up domes, an observation deck and fun activities for kids. Experience the rich heritage of the area at unique events and ethnic festivals. Enjoy an authentic German meal at Freeman’s Schmeckfest or sample a homemade kolache and enter a polka dance-off at Tabor’s Czech Days. Be a “Dane for a Day” and enjoy aebleskiver for breakfast at Viborg’s Danish Days or celebrate the longest day with a Swedish smörgåsbord and Scandinavian programs at Dalesburg’s Midsommar Festival, near Vermillion. Eat your fill of “South Dakota’s state dessert” at the Kuchen Festival in Delmont or chow down on the “state nosh” at the South Dakota Chislic Festival in Freeman. Ver-million’s Ribs, Rods & Rock ‘N Roll combines BBQ, music and a car show. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in DeSmet brings Laura’s world-famous books to life before your eyes. Rodeos and bull bashes at Madison, Mitchell, Scotland, Springfield, Wessington Springs and Yankton offer authentic western entertainment. Old-time threshing festivals at Madison, Menno, Delmont and Brandon show you how it was done in the ‘good ol’ days’. Immerse yourself in Native American culture at powwows. County fairs are a great family outing. The Turner County Fair in Parker is South Dakota’s oldest county fair while the Sioux Empire Fair in Sioux Falls is the state’s largest fair. More events on page 226 or visit www.southeastsouthdakota.com.
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2020: Page 224
